This invention relates generally to deicing systems and, more particularly, to a system for preventing and clearing ice dams from roof gutters and downspouts.
Ice and snow on the roof of a house or building melts as heat from the building warms the roof. Water from the melting ice and snow then runs to the edges or xe2x80x9ceavesxe2x80x9d of the roof and into a gutter or eave trough where it tends to refreeze. This refrozen water forms an ice dam at the roof edge or in the gutter which can be damaging to the house or building structure in that additional water from melting snow may pool up and seep through the roof into the house, causing damage to drywall, insulation, etc. Further, additional water may contribute to increasing the size and weight of the ice dam.
Various deicing systems have been proposed in the art for clearing ice and snow from gutters mounted to a roof edge. Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, the existing systems do not provide for selective placement of a heating cable on a roof surface itself as well as in a gutter and associated downspouts. Further, the existing systems do not provide convenient user controls that improve utility and energy conservation.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a system for preventing and clearing ice dams for use with gutters and downspouts that includes rotatable, pivotal, and telescopic heat cable holding assemblies. Further, it is desirable to have a system that utilizes a self-regulating heat cable having a plurality of sections that respond independently to changes in ambient temperature. In addition, it is desirable to have a system having multiple modes of operation for optimal user control of the system.
An ice dam prevention and clearing system for use with gutters and downspouts mounted to a roof includes a plurality of wire holding assemblies, each assembly having a base for attachment to a gutter panel and an elongate arm coupled to the base. The system further includes a heating cable for generating beat when electrically actuated. Each assembly arm includes at least one fastener for retaining the heating cable. Each arm is rotatably and pivotally coupled to a respective base such that the arm may be laterally positioned on a roof surface adjacent a gutter or completely displaced from the roof surface. In addition, each arm is length adjustable such that the heating cable may be vertically extended along the roof surface. The heating cable may also be positioned in the gutter itself. Therefore, this system may heat a roof surface adjacent a gutter so as to prevent the formation of an ice dam or to eliminate an existing ice dam so that the melted water may flow through the gutter. The heating cable is connected to a control unit that includes a selector switch for selecting a mode of operation.
Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a system for the prevention and clearing of an ice dam in or adjacent a gutter mounted to the edge of a roof.
Another object of this invention is to provide an ice dam prevention and clearing system, as aforesaid, which includes a plurality of wire holding assemblies that may be spaced apart along a gutter for holding a heating cable.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an ice dam prevention and clearing system, as aforesaid, in which an arm of each wire holding assembly is pivotally and rotatably coupled to a base for positioning the arm at a desired position relative to a roof surface.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an ice dam prevention and clearing system, as aforesaid, in which the arm of each wire holding assembly is telescopically length adjustable.
A further object of this invention is to provide an ice dam prevention and clearing system, as aforesaid, that provides a plurality of user-selectable modes for operation of the system.
A still further object of this invention is to provide an ice dam prevention and clearing system, as aforesaid, including temperature and moisture sensors for determining when the heating cable is energized.